mentorship

# Choice and Role of Faculty Advisor

Every incoming graduate student is formally sponsored by one, or sometimes jointly by two, member(s) of the faculty. 
Sponsorship is decided at the time the offer of admission is made, based on the student’s interests and on prior 
discussion between the applicant and individual faculty members. The purpose of immediate sponsorship is to ensure 
that every student has a faculty mentor from the start. The expectation is that the student will do research under the 
supervision of his/her initial sponsor, and this is usually the case. However, entering students who do not yet have a 
clearly-defined research interest are not obliged to work in the area of their initial advisor. A change of advisor does 
occasionally occur when a student discovers that his/her interests lie in an area best served by some other faculty member. 
The aim of the program is to provide each student with the best guidance available, and occasional changes of advisor 
are a part of this process. 

• If you are experiencing advisor-related issues, you can discuss the matter with the graduate coordinator and/or with the department chair; you can also contact Grad School Assistant Dean Dovev Levine (dovev.levine@unh.edu)

• Dr. Dovev Levine (dovev.levine@unh.edu; https://gradschool.unh.edu/person/dovev-levine) is officially the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at the Grad School - and unlike most faculty, he does have professional training in counseling and mental health. Moreover, despite his long professional title, he is super-nice and very, very approachable.